State Advocacy: As Easy As 1-2-3
Every NAMSS member has the ability to play an active part in advocacy efforts by staying aware of legislative developments in their state. This level of advocacy is important since many licensing, credentialing and healthcare standards and regulations that will immediately affect those in the medical services profession are made at the state level.
Try and set aside a few minutes each week to perform a legislative search. Consistent tracking will help you to spot a piece of legislation early in its introduction. Spotting bills before they are passed gives you time to inform and mobilize other NAMSS members in your area. Early tracking also gives you time to contact your state representatives and to let them know how you will be affected so they can make an informed vote on the issue.
Using the steps below, you can empower yourself and your colleagues with information regarding your state government’s role in your profession. If you have any questions, please contact NAMSS Government Relations by e-mail at cperez@smithbucklin.com or by phone at (202) 367-1175.
- Find your state.
- Visit your state legislature’s bill search page. Links to each state can be found in the chart below.
- Enter your search.
- Adjust any parameters (e.g. date, chamber, session)
- Enter your search terms. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Medical errors, medical staff, privacy, credentials (credentialing), license (licensing), quality of care, emergency management, hospitals, healthcare (health care), provider
- Some search engines will allow you to perform a Boolean search to refine your search results. For tips on performing a Boolean search, click HERE.
- View and share your results.
- Skim through the results to find any relevant legislation.
- Share your results with your state chapter. Let other NAMSS members across the country know about developments in your state by posting them on the NAMSS State Legislation Message Board (link “ NAMSS State Legislation Message Board”). Be sure to include your state, a brief description of the legislation, and its relevance to NAMSS members when posting.
* Any state can also be searched here: http://thomas.trendtrack.com/texis/tt/search
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